A Force Awakened: Why So Many Find Meaning In Star Wars

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. 20th Century Fox

By Patti McCarthy, University of the Pacific

After witnessing the overwhelming popularity of Star Wars, director Francis Ford Coppola told George Lucas he should start his own religion.

Lucas laughed him off, but Coppola may have been onto something.

Indeed, the Star Wars saga taps into the very storytelling devices that have structured myths and religious tales for centuries. And with every new film, fans are able to reinforce their unique communities in a world that has grown, in many ways, increasingly isolated.

Show You Care and Help Canada Welcome Syrian Refugees [Video Included]

To help create a positive start, CARE Canada is asking Canadians to welcome Syrian refugees with a new online campaign.

UK: Give A Lost Teddy A New Home This Christmas For Charity

Airport launches campaign to rehome lost and unwanted teddies to help raise money for charity.
(PRNewsFoto/London City Airport)

Teddy bears give their owners unlimited love and hugs, but who's there to hug them when they get left behind?

People travelling through the airport often forget things such as belts, laptops and mobile phones, and sometimes their furry friends too. Some make it home, but some get forgotten. 

When staff at London City Airport found Ted in lost property, they started a campaign to get him home. The response they received from the public led them to create Adop-TED, a website for rehoming lost and unwanted teddies.

Peake Viewing: From Bizarre Astronaut Traditions To Awe-Inspiring blast Off

Tim says bye. Reuters

By Monica Grady, The Open University

Having spent days following him around, it was amazing to finally see the first official UK astronaut, Major Tim Peake, launched into space from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. He’s been through six years of training to get to this moment, and will do a six-month tour of duty on the International Space Station.

I was part of the press team that followed Peake and his crew mates Tim Kopra (NASA) and Yuri Malenchenko (Roscosmos) around as they went through the final few tests prior to their launch. It was a really interesting experience seeing all the strange traditions taking place away from the public eye – and not just from the point of view of finding out about astronaut preparation.

Tobacco Use Widespread in Video Games Played By Youth [Video Included]

Smoking is prevalent and often glamorized in video games played by youth,
according to a new report released by Truth Initiative.

Smoking is prevalent and often glamorized in video games played by youth, according to a new report released today by Truth Initiative. The report, Played: Smoking and Video Games, comes at a time when parents are holiday shopping for their children and a wave of new video games have recently hit the shelves.

European Youth Expect Tough Economic Future

• Nearly a third (29%) of young people in Europe feel their finances are in a poor condition 

• Two thirds (66%) of people in Europe feel young people have to make more financial decisions than the older generations did when they were young  

• Some 75% of people across Europe agree it is more important for young people today to learn how to manage money

Almost one in three (29%) young people across Europe are barely in control of their finances*.

A new international study of financial behaviour questioning about 15,000 people across 15 nations reveals there is widespread concern about the financial prospects of the younger generation.